Kawakami, Nara
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Kawakami
| official_name =
| native_name = {{nobold|川上村}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| settlement_type = Village
| other_name =
| image_skyline = Kawakami Village Office.jpg
| imagesize =
| image_caption = Kawakami Village Hall
| image_flag = Flag of Kawakami, Nara.svg
| image_seal = Emblem of Kawakami, Nara.svg
| seal_type = Chapter
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=10}}
| image_map1 = Kawakami in Nara Prefecture Ja.svg
| map_alt =
| map_caption = Location of Kawakami in Nara Prefecture
| pushpin_map = Japan
| pushpin_relief =
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Japan
| coordinates = {{coord|34|20|18|N|135|57|16|E|region:JP|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = Japan
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Kansai
| subdivision_type2 = Prefecture
| subdivision_name2 = Nara
| subdivision_type3 = District
| subdivision_name3 = Yoshino
| established_title =
| established_date =
| extinct_title = Now part of
| extinct_date =
| founder =
| named_for =
| seat_type =
| seat =
| government_footnotes =
| leader_party =
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Takao Izumiya
| leader_title1 = Vice Mayor
| leader_name1 =
| total_type =
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_magnitude =
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 269.26
| area_land_km2 =
| area_water_km2 =
| area_water_percent =
| area_note =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m =
| population_footnotes =
| population_total = 1,023
| population_as_of = January 1, 2025
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_est =
| pop_est_as_of =
| timezone1 = JST
| utc_offset1 = +09:00
| postal_code_type =
| postal_code =
| area_code_type =
| area_code =
| blank_name_sec1 = City hall address
| blank_info_sec1 = 1335-7 Sako, Kawakami-mura, Yoshino-gun, Nara-ken 639-3594
| website = {{Official|1=http://www.vill.kawakami.nara.jp/}}
| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox place symbols| embedded=yes
| tree = Yoshino Cedar (Cryptomeria)
| flower = Kerria japonica
| bird = Varied tit
| flowering_tree =
| butterfly =
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}}
}}
{{nihongo|Kawakami|川上村|Kawakami-mura}} is a village located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. {{As of |2025|01|01}}, the village had an estimated population of 1,023 and a population density of 3.8 persons per km2.{{cite web |url=https://www.pref.nara.jp/6265.htmp|title=Nara Prefecture official statistics|location= Japan|language= ja}} The total area of the village is {{cvt|269.26|km2}}.
Geography
Kawakami is located in central Nara Prefecture, the majority of the village is mountainous. The Ōmine Mountains are on the west side and the Daidaka Mountains on the east side, and the area is the source of the Yoshino River. The Osako Dam and Otaki Dam are located on the Yoshino River. The area has many limestone caves and hot springs.
=Surrounding municipalities=
=Climate=
Kawakami has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by warm summers and cool winters with light to no snowfall. The average annual temperature in Kawakami is 11.1 °C. The average annual rainfall is 2422 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.3 °C, and lowest in January, at around -0.4 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/nara-prefecture/kawakami-656546/ Kawakami climate: Average Temperature, weather by month]
=Demographics=
Per Japanese census data, the population of Kawakami is as shown below: Between 1991 and 2016, no families in Sogio district had a birth.{{cite web|last1=Ripley|first1=Will|last2=Ogura|first2=Junko|last3=Sugiura|first3=Natsumi|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/17/asia/japan-population-crisis-countryside-cities-intl-hnk-dst/index.html|title=This community’s quarter century without a newborn shows the scale of Japan’s population crisis |publisher=CNN|date=2023-03-17|accessdate=2023-03-18}} - The article text identifies this Kawakami as the one in Nara Prefecture.
{{Historical populations
| 1940 | 7963
| 1950 | 7864
| 1960 | 8084
| 1970 | 6,020
| 1980 | 4,151
| 1990 | 3,093
| 2000 | 2,558
| 2010 | 1,643
| 2020 | 1,156
|align = none
| footnote =
}}
History
The area of Kawakami was part of ancient Yamato Province. The discovery of the Miyanohira ruins (submerged under the Otaki Dam), believed to date back to the Jomon period, proves that the area of Kawakami has been inhabited since ancient times. The village of Kawakami was established on April 1, 1889, with the creation of the modern municipalities system.
Government
Kawakami has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral village council of eight members. Kawakami, collectively with the other municipalities of Yoshino District, contributes two members to the Nara Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the village is part of the Nara 3rd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.
Economy
The local economy is based on tourism and forestry. Due to the terrain, there is very little commercial agriculture.
Education
Kawakami has one public combined elementary/junior high school operated by the village government. The village does not have a high school.
Transportation
=Railways=
Kawkami has no passenger railway service. The nearest train station is Yamato-Kamiichi Station on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line in Yoshino.
= Highways =
- {{jct|country=JPN|Route|169}}
Local attractions
Notable people from Kawakami
- Daimanazuru Kenji, former sumo wrestler
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- [http://www.vill.kawakami.nara.jp/ Kawakami official website] {{in lang|ja}}
{{Nara Prefecture}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Villages in Nara Prefecture
{{Nara-geo-stub}}